There are some really good one's on ebay. comes with the flag attaches to the tower. My lake requires up all the time someone is out of the boat whether down or not. But this one is great b/c it comes with a screw so you can adjust the tension. just put it by the driver and flip up!

CA requires a flag. I really like the idea for warning other drivers to watch for someone in the water. I just moved to MN where it's not required and don't like it. I guess I could continue using my flag but if no one knows what it means I guess it won't help.

I've been told by two different sherrif boats out on the water that even master crafts auto/retract rider down flag cannot be declared as a valid rider down flag. But people still buy and use it either way

I have the Flag Buddy. It works pretty good! The first year we used it, the ranger said that you have to put it down once the rider is up and riding. Got in trouble for that but we work around it. Just flip it up when the rider is starting out or down and you are good to go. I like it at a crowded lake because the flag is nice and high so other boats can spot it easily.

I know there are enough idiots out there anyway but sadly they don't always notice the rider down flag. I guess another way to look at is to ask some of the peeps on here another question. What states don't require a rider down flag and how dangerous is it?

Oh man if I had to use a flag id hate it so much....
You just power turn if the rider is in danger, thats how we cope. People usually aren't that dumb. And if they are dumb enough to drive up your ass or at your rideer they aren't gunna see your flag anyways...

I had made a holder for our tower to put up while we would swim around the boat and the sheriff gave us hell for it. Stated that it is only applicable for "skiers" in the water Stupid. I can uderstand the law but I think you should be allowed to have it at rest to notify people in the area that people are in the water.

Under California law, the display of a ski flag is mandatory to indicate a skier in the water, or a ski,
a line, or similar equipment in the immediate area. The display of the ski flag does not in itself restrict
the use of the water, but warns boaters operating in the area to exercise caution.
Boaters who see a red or orange flag being displayed should be on the lookout for a skier or equipment
in the water.

Going out tomorrow and gonna try out a new flag holder my friend designed for the Malibu illusion X tower had the prototype for a while and now he's putting it into production. I'll get some pics when he brings by the new mount. And when it's in use as well

Curtis,
Still house hunting. Just got back from Orlando area. Florida has become an option again.
Did you guys get to try the new production model in use this weekend?
If so, let's see the pics!!
How is that AZ winter weather doing? Still great?

PA doesn't require a flag.
A serious, knowledgeable driver knows what a flag means, but I think that it can be difficult to see. I am always scanning the water for objects when driving and am very aware of others in the water around me.
But should someone be endangering my rider, I make sure I get them out of that situation. Either stopping myself and letting the rider ease into the water, positioning my boat between them and the other boat, or signalling to the rider we're turning around.
We ride in fairly non busy areas anyways. (spotter is required by law).

Your american laws sometimes boggle the mind. A sherrif gives you heck for floating with the boat and having the flag up because the person in the water did NOT have skis on and was NOT planning to water ski, just swim and you had the flag up for safety? Seems so far out there that the law enforcement would use that situation to show their power. We have no such laws in canada, but we also have a lot less people using the lakes so it's probably not necessary I guess. Some of the stories you guys tell about your water cops are just comical.

In Minnesota the laws are a little more relaxed so far. If you have a mirror you don't need a third, you can ski from sun up to 1 hour after sunset, no flag needed anytime, you can always tell the people from out of state, the rider or skier does not need to wear a pfd just have to have one in the boat for the rider. That last one makes no sense but if you are a barefooter that one is nice because I don't think there are a lot of uscg approved barefoot suits. With over 10,000 lakes traffic on most lakes is not to bad, but there are some that get tons of traffic on them but those arn't worth trying to ride on at those times.

I'm with you Levi. When I was at the wakeboard camp the local sheriff stopped us while we were towing someone to give us crap because the boats didn't have registration. ( Apparently they don't register them because they get the boats from Malibu as demos). I couldn't believe it. On our local lakes a cop won't come near us if anyone is moving. So you just have to be on the throttle anytime you see one if you are doing something you shouldn't. That's also if you do actually see a cop out on the water. Our local lakes are very rarely patrolled and the days they are out there...ie the stupid busy days, I'm not out there. The only change I now eastern canada has and quite a lot of states is alcohol on boats. Up here you can't have any unless you are over 30' I believe and I like the rule as long as the driver isn't drinking have at it. I still see the odd flag being waved. Better safe then sorry I guess.

I found a discount on the flag buddy tower or window mount. Save 20% use code flag buddy during checkout (with the space between words).
Enter and apply the coupon code after you enter your personal information and shipping choice.

As said above about MN, most lakes aren't very busy. But when it does get busy, it can definitely be dangerous. I've had to power turn and go full throttle back to my rider a few times just to cut another boat or jetski off. And I've chased down and pulled up to a fair share of boats to yell at them for being too close. At least on my chain of lakes, very few wakeboats even know how to drive properly so it gets frustrating.

So how would the flag rule have helped in RideGull's situation? I just don't see how they help? If someone is so stupid not to pay attention to what's going on around them, are they really going to pay attention to a flag in the boat?

420sq!! Ill let a mother f'er know real quick and won't hesitate to slap him his mouth too if he doesn't understand what I'm telling him. Lol just saying safety is important. But here in ca. Where flags are mandatory if someone is standing in a boat waiving a flag it's real hard not too see and does definently work. I mean **** it definently doesn't hurt.

Here's a example 40' approx. away with multiple colors around and my safety vest still sticks out and that's with my ****ty camera and alot of different contrast and textures on the lake a orange safety flag really pops.

There are some really good one's on ebay. comes with the flag attaches to the tower. My lake requires up all the time someone is out of the boat whether down or not. But this one is great b/c it comes with a screw so you can adjust the tension. just put it by the driver and flip up!

I have a flag buddy and we had it in the up position while we were floating with the kids swimming off the back of the boat. It was a summer weekday and and I had a local marine sherrif that had nothing to do come over to us and tell us that we had to have the flag HELD by a spotter and not just in the up position.

This is the Oregon Law:

Quote:

(7) No person shall operate any boat used for towing water skis, surfboards or similar devices on the waters of this state unless the boat is equipped with and displays a warning flag as follows:

(a) The warning flag, also known as the skier down flag, shall be international orange or red in color and shall be at least 12 inches in height and 12 inches in width.

(b) When any person being towed by the boat becomes disengaged from the towline and is down in the water, a person in the boat shall immediately display the warning flag aloft, visible from all sides, as an indicator to other boats in the area that a person is down in the water. As long as the downed person is in the water, the flag shall remain displayed to prevent danger to that person and hazards to passing boats.
(c) The warning flag described in this section shall be displayed only under the conditions set forth in paragraph (b) of this subsection or when other imminent danger exists

I disagree with the Sherrif's interpretation of "display". Because I can "display" the flag by rotating it in the Flag buddy to a visible position. To me, "display" doesn't mean that it needs to be physically held.

I found a discount on the flag buddy tower or window mount. Save 20% use code flag buddy during checkout (with the space between words).
Enter and apply the coupon code after you enter your personal information and shipping choice.

^lol good point it's been my handle for over 10 years now can't change it. But surfing is still stupid. If your knees can't handle wake boarding why not skate?just as fast fun and challenging and not messing up the butter doing the same thing over and over. Just my opinion figured somebody wouldn't like it. Lol

So how would the flag rule have helped in RideGull's situation? I just don't see how they help? If someone is so stupid not to pay attention to what's going on around them, are they really going to pay attention to a flag in the boat?

Exactly.
I'm sure the flag helps in some areas, but i wish boating etiqutte and safety was enforced more in general.
At least around here, way too many people going fast through channels, coming within 50' of a rider (law is 150'), drunk driving, and improper/unsafe use of jet skis.

In NJ you gotta have a flag up a few feet above the highest point of your boat when riding. It's kinda ridiculous, because everyone forgets to take them down and by the afternoon virtually every boat less than 25 feet is flying a flag. My holder? Two zip ties.

In CA the flag also means ropes are out. So most give a good distance once they learn the rules. Idiots will be idiots so you can't stop an idiot with your flag but you can wave that flag to get their attention maybe.